Chivas USA notebook: Goats could use a win at home

Chivas USA has a chance to have a breakthrough moment tonight as the club reaches the halfway point in the MLS season.

A victory over Vancouver at Home Depot Center could boost the Goats two spots in the standings if they get some help from around the league.

But there's a catch: they're playing at home.

Chivas has lost only once since May 4, but it still hasn't found the formula for winning where it's supposed to be comfortable. In home games, Chivas is 2-6-1 and has been shut out five times.

A 3-1-3 record on the road has prevented true panic from setting in at this point.

"If we weren't very good on the road I would say, 'Yeah, this is our last stretch,' but we're a very good road team," Chivas midfielder Nick LaBrocca said. "We need to take care of business at home. It's just a matter of stringing the two together.

"We just haven't been able to do that and as soon as we do then everything will change and all the conversations will be completely different."

A win for Chivas (5-7-4) not only would pull it three points closer to the Whitecaps (8-4-5) but result in a tie with Colorado, as long as the Rapids lose in Seattle and the Galaxy can't win in Chicago.

One advantage for Chivas is it has played at least one less game than the teams ahead of it in the Western Conference standings.

"We can be very happy with the way we've played on the road, but the reality is we need to be better at home," goalkeeper Dan Kennedy said. "We need to lock down our home turf and we'll be on our way."

As Chivas sputtered, then found its footing a bit since a home defeat to Chicago on May 4, the team has been able to squeak through with a 2-1-4 record in its past seven MLS games. Along the way, they also picked up three U.S. Open Cup victories.

"We've had two very good months," Kennedy said. "We talked about going to Dallas and getting a tie, a good result. Now we need to change our mentality and start thinking about making sure we're getting those wins, that ties are no longer good enough results."

The Goats have their hands full with Vancouver, a team that went 6-18-10 in its inaugural season last year but has been piling up the points this season and at one point was in first place.

The Whitecaps also played Wednesday, so their week has been shortened. But anything at Home Depot Center has presented a danger warning to Chivas.

"They're coming off a mid-week game and I expect them to lay off a little bit," Kennedy said. "And we need to step on the pedal and get after them."

Cup fever

After a week and a half off, Chivas has a rather busy month. The club travels to Tukwila, Wash., on Wednesday to face Seattle Sounders FC in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

Chivas then would be off for a week but play a mid-week game at Portland and return home for a Saturday game against the Galaxy. If Chivas defeats Seattle on Wednesday, the club would face either Philadelphia or Sporting Kansas City for the title Aug. 7 or 8.

Seattle has won the past three Open Cups, and Chivas defender James Riley played on those three squads. He said Seattle's success in the tournament stems from the club's USL days.

"It was a chance for the club to get a trophy," Riley said. "Our first year, we wanted to do that whether it was MLS Cup or Open Cup, so we put a lot of effort into it."

Chivas has won its past two Open Cup games in stoppage time with goals from Juan Pablo Angel against Carolina and Jose Erick Correa against Charlotte. The three victories in the tournament have helped solidify the club.

"We're there, we're getting it, we're taking it day by day with good overall performances," Riley said. "The Open Cup has definitely helped us out this year."

Here and there

Forward Juan Agudelo's left knee, which had to be surgically repaired earlier this year, has prevented him from training this week and he'll miss tonight's game. ... Midfielder Miller Bolanos is hobbling with a hamstring injury and also called in sick Friday, so he's not likely to be available either. But at least LaBrocca's hamstring has been cooperating.

"It's all about progress," he said. "It's one of those tricky injuries where one day you feel great, one day not so much, but right now I'm feeling good and hopefully that will carry through the game and hopefully make some progress."... Chivas made two personnel moves Friday. They waived defender Scott Gordon and acquired defender Bobby Burling, the former Loyola Marymount star who started his career with Chivas in 2007. Chivas traded a 2013 international roster spot to acquire Burling, who was picked up by the Impact in the expansion draft. Burling has been on the training field with Chivas for about two weeks. Gordon played in three games and totaled 23 minutes.